Holder for steel wool



March 3, 1953 T. c. D] GIOVANNA 2,629,890

HOLDER FOR STEEL WOOL Filed June 21, 1951 I N V EN TOR. 12M 621w fizmwmPatented Mar. 3, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOLDER FOR. STEEL WOOLTigellia Cisco Di Giovanna, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application June 21, 1951,Serial No. 232,726

This invention relates to holders and devices for holding scouring andpolishing means, and particularly to a holder for artificial metal woolsuch as steel wool.

, The main object of my invention is to provide a manually grippedholder for such scouring and polishing means that is especially adaptedto fit the hand and be firmly held thereby.

Another object of the invention is to have such a manual holder capableof holding steel wool in pad form, as for example, that form of steelwool known on the market as Brillo.

A further object is to have a steel wool holder of the characterindicated which is provided with means for releasably holding a pad ofsteel wool in effective position for use.

It is also an object to have a holder such as mentioned that is flexibleto allow the steel Wool held thereby to conform to the surface uponwhich the steel wool is applied.

A practical object of this invention is, of course, to have a steel woolholder that is reasonable in cost and simple to make and use.

Other objects and the advantages of my invention will appear more fullyin detail as the specification proceeds.

In order to facilitate ready comprehension of the invention for a properappreciation of the salient features thereof, the invention isillustrated on the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, and inwhich:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a holder for steel wool and the likemade according to this invention and embodying the same in a practicalform;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same holder;

Figure 3 is an exploded view of the holder disclosing the detail of theretaining means for holding the steel wool in place;

Figure 4 is a side view of the holder in use upon a curved object toillustrate how the holder conforms itself to the shape of an object towhich it is applied;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a modification; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary section taken on line 6-6 in Figure 5.

Throughout the views, the same reference numerals indicate the same orlike parts.

When scouring and polishing pots, pans, bowls and the like, it is ofteninconvenient to use a wad of metal wool to scour the same, as it is amatter of practice and dexterity to hold the wool effectively to performgood work. In addition, such work always entails a hazard, for it 1Claim. (01. -209) occurs all too frequently that pieces of the wool cutsinto the fingers and begin to cause festersand boils or other seriousconditions.

Upon considering this problem, it has occurred both to provide a goodhold on the metal wool and also to protect the hand from the wool. As

' a result of such cogitation, I have succeeded in producing a specialholder for steel wool and the like, as will now be particularly setforth in.

detail.

Hence, in the practice of my invention, and. referring also again to thedrawing, a resilient.

and substantially flat holder body I is preferably made of natural orartificial rubber or plastic: and may be of round or oval outline, asshown in.

Figures 1 to 4. Upon two opposite side edges and at one end, this holderbody is provided with retaining fingers 8, 8, 9 directed inwardlybeneath the body and made of a stiffer and less yielding form of rubberor plastic. It is to be noted that at the remaining end Ill of the bodyno retaining finger is located, but instead, this end is clear andunobstructed in order to allow a pad H of steel wool or the like to beslid inward beneath the holder body so as to become engaged by fingers8, 8, and 9. When slipping the pad into position, these retainingfingers may be pried outward by the operator until the pad is seated infinal positiomwhen the pad will conform in outline with the outline ofthe holder body and be ready for use.

In order to manipulate the mentioned holder and apply the steel wool tothe utensils to be scoured or polished, the holder body 1 is providedupon its upper surface with a hand grip l2 of elongated and generallyupstanding form. However, in order to cause this hand grip to conform tothe palm and the fingers of the hand 13, this grip is formed with apitch like a propeller blade, so that toward one end hi it bends towardthe left to fit the palm and toward the other end it veers off to theright at IE to be gripped by the fingers. Being of the same material asthe holder body, this hand grip, located as it is upon the intermediateportion of the mentioned holder body, the hand obtains a firm grip onmember l2, and thus provides a good hold on the device as a wholewithout the hand coming into direct contact with the steel wool.

Inasmuch as the entire holder is of resilient material, it is easilypossible to scour and polish concave and convex objects such as theconcave bowl l6 partly shown in Figure 4, the steel pad ll naturallyalso conforming to the shape of the object to which it is applied. Thematerial of the holder may be, as already mentioned of rubber orplastic, and the material among the plastics that is suitable is any oneof the vinyl series and the like.

While I have described the holder body as of round or oval outline, sucha profile is merely one of convenience, for as shown in Figure 5, thebody I! may be of square or recta'ngular'outline. This form of holderhas the two side retaining fingers l8, l8 and one end retaining fingerI8, for example, is: normally biased upward and inward toward theunderslde of the holder body H, but when the pad 22'is introducedbetween the finger l8 and body I], the finger is separated from the bodyasindicated at*23; The retaining: fingers are preferably made of a lessresilient rubber or plasticthan that of the holder body I or H, and theymay even be internally reinforced by a metal or plastic clip or finger,and this is such an obvious expedient as to seem unnecessary toillustrate.

In any event, it is evident from the foregoing:

that a pad of steel wool mayv be held in useful manner without danger'tcthe hand and manipulated conveniently. to scour and polish variousutensils of difierent shapesin effective manner;

It has been shown, also that the form ofthe holder as a whole may beselected for convenience, so that it may be round. oval, square,rectangular or of any other outline desired, so long. as'one end or sideis free from retaining-fingers- The upper surface of the 4 to allow forreplacement of a steel wool pad. In any form of the holder, the handgrip is also substantially the same in form, being formed with a twistto facilitate gripping the same.

Manifestly, variations may be resorted to and parts and features may bemodified or used without others Within the scope of the appended claim.

Having now fully described my invention, I

claim:

A steel wool holder adapted tohold a pad of steel wool in effectiveposition for use, including a holder body of resilient material having apredetermined outline, a plurality of inwardly directed retainingfingers extending integrally from the e'dges'b'eneath said holder bodyfor retaining a pad of steel wool against the underside of said body,and a grip member fixed upon the upper surface of the holder body, thesaid grip member being formed with a pitch long its length, therebybending the said grip member in one direction at one end and in theopposite dlrec tion at its other end in order to facilitate'conformingto the palm and fingers of" the" hand when gripping the said holder,"andthe said retaining fingers being-less resilient than the said holderbody.

TIGELLIA crsco m GIOVANNA;

REFERENCES error) The following references areofreco rd-in the fileofthis patent: U

UNITED STATES PA'I'ENTS Date

